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Check Your Area - CMS Names Pioneer ACOs

Publish Date: 1/18/2012

Established by the Affordable Care Act, the Medicare Shared Savings Program provides incentives for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that meet standards for quality performance and reduce costs while putting patients first. Final rules for ACOs were published on November 2, 2011.

Now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is testing an alternative ACO model, the Pioneer ACO Model. The Pioneer ACO Model is designed to support organizations with experience in operating as an ACO. The Pioneer ACO Model will test a shared savings and shared losses arrangement with higher levels of risk and reward for the participating ACOs than the Shared Savings Program outlined in the November 2011 rules.

In December 2011, CMS announced 32 Pioneer ACOs, chosen for their experience in offering coordinated, patient-centered care in ACOs and ACO-like arrangements. The 32 Pioneer ACOs are: